Turkey Breast en Cocotte with Pan Gravy
We knew from our experience with chicken that cooking poultry in a covered pot over low heat for an extended period of time produces wonderful results, so we decided to develop a turkey breast recipe using this method. We chose a 6- to 7-pound bone-in turkey breast for our turkey breast en cocotte recipe because the bone lent the breast deep flavor and this size breast fit into the pot. As with chicken, we found that browning the turkey breast was an essential step in developing deep flavor. Adding some aromatics—in this case, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and a bay leaf—to the pot further rounded out the flavor.
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Ingredients
- 1 turkey breast whole, bone-in (6- to 7-pound)
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped medium
- 1 medium carrot chopped medium
- 1 celery rib chopped medium
- 6 medium garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 250 degrees. Using kitchen shears or a chef’s knife, trim the rib bones and any excess fat from the turkey, following the illustration at right. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the turkey, breast side down and scatter the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf around the turkey. Cook, turning the breast on its sides and stirring the vegetables as needed, until the turkey and vegetables are well browned, 12 to 16 minutes, reducing the heat if the pot begins to scorch. Turn turkey so breast side is facing up.
- Off the heat, place a large sheet of foil over the pot and press to seal, then cover tightly with the lid. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook until the thickest part of the breast registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest while making the gravy.
- Place the pot with the juices and vegetables over medium-high heat and simmer until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until browned, 2 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the gravy is thickened and measures about 2 1/2 cups, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh strainer and season with salt and pepper to taste. Carve the turkey and serve, passing the gravy separately.
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